urban runoff – Aquarius-Systems https://aquarius-systems.com Surface Water Management Equipment Thu, 29 Jan 2026 19:06:04 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 https://aquarius-systems.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/cropped-favicon-32x32.png urban runoff – Aquarius-Systems https://aquarius-systems.com 32 32 Trash Skimmer Boats Making a Difference https://aquarius-systems.com/trash-skimmer-boats-making-a-difference/ Wed, 20 Sep 2023 15:51:35 +0000 https://aquarius-systems.com/?p=6355 A vast majority of the gunk collected by the city in Queensway Bay, from the Catalina Terminal to the Shoreline Marina, comes from the Los Angeles River in California. Starting as far north as the San Fernando Valley, Long Beach’s waters long have been plagued by the urban runoff from cities upstream.

In the last decade though, conditions have improved. The installation of a county controlled trash boom at the mouth of the Los Angeles River means that much of the trash trickling towards Long Beach is caught and collected.

Also in use are three trash skimmer boats which easily collect 193 tons of debris from the water monthly. The debris skimmer collects mattresses and couches from the water as well as smaller debris such as sticks, plastic cups, water bottles and Styrofoam.

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]]> Stormwater Runoff Carries Pollution Straight Into Our Waterways https://aquarius-systems.com/water-quality-month/ Sun, 31 Jul 2016 22:21:54 +0000 https://aquariussystems.wordpress.com/?p=617 The Environmental Protection Agency reports that 40% of the nation’s waterways suffer water quality problems.  Water systems are often interlinked and the dangers of runoff from agriculture, forestry, construction and people’s personal yards are numerous.

Rain and Runoff

Did you know that a typical city block generates more than five times as much rainwater runoff as a forested area of the same size? This is because rooftops and pavement don’t allow water to soak into the ground like forests, wetlands and grasslands do. Instead, rainwater runs off pavement into the nearest storm drain, where it’s transported to local streams, rivers and eventually the ocean. On its way to the storm drain, rainwater picks up pollutants like oil, antifreeze, pet waste, fertilizers and pesticides. In most places, storm water does not get treated, so all of those pollutants end up in local waters.

Using non-toxic house products, not dumping things other than water down storm drains, and not flushing medication down the toilet or sink are just a few things you can do to keep the water in your area clean.

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